Hold You Close
by KaelynAnne
Summary: Piper is possessed by a sixteenth century witch and heads back to Smallville to find out why. What she didn't expect was for her current boyfriend to have something to do with her current problem. Can her bond with Clark get through this or is she alone?


Disclaimer: I own Wyatt Morgan. All other characters belong to Aaron Spelling as well Alfred Gough and Miles Miller.

Hold You Close: Chapter One

Piper Halliwell smiled as she walked down a sidewalk in Paris. She'd been in France for three months and she loved it. She stopped in front of two young Parisian children and took a picture of them with the professional-style camera she had with her. "Merci."

The children smiled at her then walked away. As she stood up, she passed a bulletin with a picture of Lex on it and looked at it briefly. Two young men walking by whistled at Piper and smiled. She smiled back and continued walking, nearly running into another young man who grabbed her by the shoulders, startling her. "Oh, sorry. You're American, right?"

"Yes."

"Great. Can I ask you a big favor?"

"Sure. As long is it doesn't get me arrested," she answered cautiously.

"No, I'm supposed to meet my, uh, my girlfriend here. Well, she's not really my girlfriend even though we spend every waking moment together. See, we met two months ago today on this exact street corner, and I bought her something to mark the occasion. I wanted to get your opinion."

"All right."

"Okay." He unzipped his bag and pulled out a black helmet.

"Well, I think that would probably be the last thing she was expecting."

"It doesn't really scream romance, does it? But, see, the first time we met, I was driving by on my Vespa, and I clipped her. She thought I was gonna steal her purse so she kicked me of my bike. I messed up an old football injury and then she spent five hours with me at the hospital and we just clicked."

"Well, it sounds like love at first crash."

"Yeah. Well, for me it was anyway, but I'm just an impulsive kind of guy."

"Well, how does she feel?"

"I don't know. She doesn't really talk about it. I think she, uh, I think she got hurt by somebody, but maybe she needs to talk about it." Jason looked at Piper seriously and she returned the look then smiled, playing along.

"Well, uh, nothing says "I love you" like a motorcycle helmet."

"Yeah. It's for a weekend trip to Nice if she's . . . if she's interested." He looked at her hopefully and she was taken aback for several moments.

"If a guy did something that romantic for me, I think I'd have to kiss him."

"Yeah."

"Yeah," she answered softly. Piper put her hand on Jason's shoulder and they kissed slowly as she rubbed her other hand down the side of his face. She pulled back, smiling.

"I'd love to go to Nice with you, Jason."

"Happy anniversary, Piper." She smiled and they kissed again.

* * *

Piper walked down the hallway at the back of a church as a bell chimed in the distance. When she got to the end of the hallway, Jason reached out and grabbed her, pulling her around the corner. She gasped in surprise and Jason pushed her against as he kissed her. After several moments, she pulled away. "Jason, stop it. We are in a church, and I have an art history project to finish."

"Okay, my girlfriend invites me to some old crypt for some brass rubbing. I thought it was code for something else."

"Mr. Teague, you have a dirty mind."

"But I have a pure heart." Jason leaned down to kiss her again, but she turned away. He grabbed her arm.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! Come on, I've already scoped out our victim." Jason lead Piper to the wall next to an altar. In front of the altar on the ground was an engraving of a female warrior fashioned out of brass. The woman was wearing a regal dress and held a shield in one hand and a sword in the other. "Meet your project. Countess Margaret Isabelle Theroux. It says here she was a warrior princess who kicked a lot of ass and broke a lot of hearts."

"Is that a direct translation?" she asked, smiling. Jason returned the smile.

"No, I just, I figured you guys have a lot in common. You know, you're both, uh, you're both strong, and, uh, you're both uncompromising, both beautiful." Piper laughed.

"We should get to work. The church closes in an hour."

"Not me. I have a hot date to plan for tomorrow." Jason smiled and started to walk away as Piper watched him, confused. "Somebody failed to mention it was their birthday."

"Who told you?"

"Sources at the highest level of government." Piper looked at him skeptically and he smiled. "All right, I slipped the admissions clerk 20 euros."

"Look, Jason, I don't expect . . . " Jason held up his hands, cutting her off, and pointed to the engraving on the floor.

"Stop talking, start rubbing. By the way, festivities begin at 10 AM tomorrow at the Café de Fleurie." He finished loudly and someone in the next shushed him. Jason looked in the direction of then sound then rushed out of the church dramatically as Piper laughed.

"All right." She turned to the engraving on the floor and knelt down next to it. She put her bag on the floor, removed a roll of blank white paper from a tube she'd been holding, unrolled it over the top half of the engraving and began rubbing a piece of charcoal over the paper.

When the face was complete, Piper stopped rubbing and looked at it strangely, something about it unsettled her although she couldn't pinpoint what it was. She dismissed the feeling and continued rubbing, revealing more of the image including the shield. On the shield was an image of two wavy lines with circles on each side.

Piper was mesmerized by the symbol and reached down to touch it. As her fingers neared the paper, the symbol began to glow a whitish gold. When she touched it, beams of white light shone from the symbol and a howling wind surrounded her, causing her to toss her head back. She looked down at the symbol again as the light shined and glimmered like a powerful flame and the wind blew her in every direction.

* * *

Piper was lying in her bed when she was startled awake by a pounding on the door to her room. Her hair was matted and messy and she was breathless and sweating. The knocking continued, persistent and frightening. Piper was naked and pulled the sheet over herself nervously as the wind blowing in through her windows caused the drapes to wave wildly.

Her charcoal rubbing of the Countess Theroux was on an easel across the room. Piper finally stood up, holding the sheet around her as the pounding continued. She walked slowly to the door and, keeping the chain in place, unlocked the deadbolt and cautiously opened the door, revealing Jason on the other side. "What's going on? You were supposed to meet me at 10. It's now 12. Are you okay?"

Piper tried unsuccessfully to brush her hair out of her face. Her hands were shaking and she was still out of breath as she answered nervously, almost fearfully. "Yeah, I don't know how I got here. I must've passed out. I'll meet you downstairs." Jason looked like he was going to argue, but she closed the door then turned around, looking at her room strangely.

Piper stepped into her shower as she turned the water on and let it fall on her face as she pushed her hair back. She closed her eyes, savoring the water as the steam rose around and she took a breath.

She continued to stand under the water for several minutes, still uneasy. She turned the water off and stepped out of the shower, holding a towel to her chest. When she walked past her mirror, something caught her attention. She stopped and looked at the reflection of her back. On her lower back was a black tattoo of the symbol from Countess Theroux's shield. Piper was stunned to see it on her skin.

* * *

Inside her apartment, Piper was looking through some pictures on laptop. She clicked on a picture of Clark and it filled the screen. In the picture, Clark was standing in front of a stone wall in the Kawatche caves. As she looked closer, Piper saw the symbol painted onto the wall behind Clark. It was the same symbol that was now on her back. She stood up and went over to her mirror, looking at her lower back with worry.

Sighing, she moved back to her computer and shut it down. As much as she hated to leave Paris, she knew she had to go back to Smallville. Clark might be the only one who could tell her what the symbol meant. She pushed the anxiousness that she felt at the thought of seeing Clark again aside, but she couldn't completely dismiss it.

* * *

Thirty-six hours later, Piper was de-boarding her plane at the Metropolis airport. "Piper!" She turned toward the sound of her name and smiled when she saw Wyatt Morgan and Lana.

"Hey, it's so good to see you guys again."

"It's good to see you, too, but what's with the sudden return?" Wyatt asked as he hugged her.

"It's a long story that I'll tell you eventually, but for now, let's just say that I felt like something was calling me back to Smallville." Lana smiled as Wyatt stepped back so she could hug Piper.

"Well, I'm glad it did, I missed you." Piper smiled and wrapped an arm around Lana's shoulders.

"I missed you, too." Piper turned to Wyatt, narrowing her eyes. "You better have taken good care of my sister." Lana laughed and laid her head on Piper's shoulder. Although she and Piper weren't actually related, their parents had been close and after they'd died in the meteor shower, Nell had raised both girls and the two of them had developed a sisterly bond.

"Don't worry, I did. Now let's get your bags and get out of here. I'm starving." Piper rolled her eyes as she and Lana shared a look.

"Boys!"

"Hey, I'm standing right here." Piper smiled innocently up at him.

"I know." Lana smiled and moved to kiss her boyfriend.

"We're sorry. Now, come on. Piper has to tell us all about Paris." Wyatt wrapped an arm around Lana's waist and groaned playfully.

"Oh, good, hours of girl talk."

"I was going to pay for lunch, but now I think you should," Piper said, glaring at Wyatt playfully.

"I agree with Piper," Lana commented. Without warning, Wyatt stepped away from Lana and moved toward Piper.

"Wyatt, what are you doing?" she asked suspiciously. Instead of answering, he began tickling her. She shrieked with laughter and Lana smiled as she watched them. Piper and Wyatt had always had a brother-sister relationship and that hadn't changed, despite the fact that they had dated for six months their sophomore year. "Wyatt, stop."

"Sorry. I can't hear you." He continued tickling her and she burst into a fresh round of giggles.

* * *

Lex poured a glass of red wine in his study and held it up as if examining it. He turned around and put the glass down when he saw Piper enter and walk toward him with a smile. "You look great."

"Thank you," she said as they hugged.

"So from your message, I didn't quite get if this is a stopover or if you're back for good."

"For a while. I guess Paris just wasn't for me."

"Yeah." He walked toward the couch and as he spoke again, there was a teasing tone to his voice. "Museums, late night jazz clubs, walk along the Seine. I see how that can all get boring." Piper followed Lex to the couch where they sat next to each other.

"Let's just say that I felt as if something was calling me home."

"A little cryptic, but I'll take it. Well, you picked a good day for a homecoming. You know, Clark just resurfaced, too. Interesting timing."

"Funny, I don't remember asking about Clark. Actually, uh, I came home because I saw the Talon was boarded up. I thought you would have sold it by now."

"Yeah, well, I had a little trouble letting it go. Why, are you on the market for a partner?" Piper smiled and shook her head.

"No. I want to rent the apartment." Lex nodded and smiled in return.

* * *

Piper was walking through the cemetery toward Chloe's grave when she saw two people fighting. She picked up the shovel and pepper spray she found on the ground and as the guy leaned over the woman, preparing to run her through with his blade she hit him on the back of his head with the shovel. When he turned, she shot the pepper spray into his eyes.

He grabbed his eyes and fell to the ground as Piper dropped the shovel and went to the woman, helping her to her feet. "Are you okay?" They both looked toward where the guy was and were shocked to find him gone.

"Where the hell did he go? Medieval psychopath." Piper looked over at Chloe's grave and noticed that it had been dug up.

"I guess you'd have to be in order to dig up a grave in the middle of the day."

"Actually, that was me." Piper looked at her strangely. "It's my cousin's grave. I'm Lois Lane." Piper shook the hand Lois held out, smiling slightly.

"Piper Halliwell."

* * *

Clark was in front of the farmhouse, working on the tractor when Piper's car drove up and stopped outside the Kent yard. He put down his wrench and walked toward the car, smiling cautiously as Piper stepped out of the car, looking less than thrilled to be there. "Piper. You're back."

"Hi. Hi, Clark," she returned awkwardly. Lois stepped out of the passenger's seat and Clark looked at Piper, surprised.

"Lois. How did you two . . . "

"We just met. I, uh, stopped by the cemetery to pay my respects to Chloe." Lois turned to Piper.

"I think you're forgetting the part where you saved my life. Some Ginsu boy came after us at Chloe's grave."

"Look, Clark, if you really think that Chloe's alive, I want to help find her."

"Uh, Piper . . . look, I don't want to get your hopes up, but we don't know anything for sure."

"Okay."

"You're back from Paris. You must've found what you were looking for."

"I'll say. Who wouldn't want a hot summer fling in the most romantic city on Earth?" Lois asked. Piper looked at Lois then Clark, embarrassed. Clark looked at Piper questioningly.

"I was going to tell you."

"It's okay," Clark assured her, though he was clearly hurt. Lois looked at both of them, quickly catching on.

"Really? You two?"

"We never . . . " Clark started.

"Not really," Piper interjected.

"Had a thing?"

"It's complicated."

"A complicated thing. Never mind." Piper and Clark shared another long look.

"Well, um, I'm gonna go." Piper laughed uncomfortably and walked back to her car.

"The awkward tension's just getting started," Lois commented. Clark didn't respond and she looked back at Piper. "I really crashed and burned on that one."

"Must be a daily ritual for you."

"Only when I'm barreling into a train wreck." Lois glanced back at Piper as she drove away then walked toward the house as Clark stayed where he was.

* * *

"So, you saw Clark?" Lana asked as she and Piper put away groceries in the kitchen of the apartment Lana and Wyatt were staying in.

"Yeah." Lana turned from the pantry to look at Piper disbelievingly. That was all she had to stay?

"Piper, I know that isn't all you have to say. We're talking about Clark Kent." Piper sighed as she put a couple of cartons of ice cream in the freezer.

"It was awkward especially once Lois mentioned Jason."

"Yeah, I've only met her a couple of times, but she seems to have a talent for being really forward."

"No kidding. She's definitely Chloe's cousin, though. She figured out that Clark and I had dated after less than thirty seconds."

"That was the only bad thing about Chloe's reporter instincts, you couldn't keep anything from her. Speaking of boyfriends, what's the deal with Jason?" Piper sighed and sat on the counter by the sink.

"I don't know. I really like him, but I left kind of abruptly and left him a note."

"You could always call him."

"I'm not sure. I mean, Jason and I worked as a couple in Paris, but I'm not sure how we'll do here." Lana smiled and turned to face her best friend.

"From the way you talked about him on the phone and what you said at lunch today, I think you really like him if you don't already love him. If you want my advice, call him."

"I'm not sure I should take that advice. I mean, Clark and I tried for two years to make a relationship work and the most we got was three months and several random kisses."

"Piper, you and Jason aren't you and Clark. For starters, Jason isn't keeping some big secret from you and I'm guessing he doesn't have a second personality because you haven't told me about one."

"No, he doesn't have a second personality, but aside from me being afraid of a serious relationship, there's always been this thing between me and Clark."

"Piper, listen to me. Your relationship with Clark is the past, Jason's here, now. Take advantage of that and call him."

"I'll think about it."

"At least that's a start."

* * *

Later that night, Piper was in the Kawatche caves, shining a flashlight on the walls so that she could look at different paintings. Clark entered behind her with his own flashlight. "Piper." She turned around, not sure how to explain herself. "What are you doing down here?"

"Probably the same thing you are. It's peaceful."

"You're two for two. You keep showing up when I least expect to see you."

"I'm not trying to surprise you, Clark."

"I know. It's just when you left, I wasn't sure when I'd see you again."

"It's funny, isn't it? After everything we've been through, I thought it would take us longer to get over it."

"Us?"

"You and Lois."

"Lois?" Clark quickly realized what Piper was implying and tried to deny it.

"She's bossy." Piper smiled, seeing through his negative words even as he continued trying to prove his point. "She's stuck up, she's rude. I can't stand her."

"The best ones start that way." Clark looked at her, not responding. Piper looked past him and saw the symbol she'd been looking for on the wall, the same one that was on her back.

"Do you believe in destiny?" She moved to the wall and shined her flashlight on the symbol.

"I don't want to."

"But you can't escape it, can you? Even if you don't know what it is yet?" Piper was now standing with her back to Clark, but it was covered so he couldn't see the tattoo.

"Piper, what is it you're not telling me? Does it have something to do with this guy you met?"

"No, no. Um, no it doesn't." She turned to face him. "But I'm sorry that you found out the way you did. I should go." Piper left and Clark looked around unhappily before his eyes landed on the painting of Naman and Sageeth.

* * *

Inside the empty Talon, Piper was at the top of the stairs outside the apartment. She tossed an empty cardboard box over the railing where it landed next to several others. When she turned to walk back to the apartment, she stopped when she heard the door open downstairs and went over to the railing, looking down with shock.

Jason was looking up at her with a bouquet of flowers. "Hi," he said quietly. Piper was still too stunned to speak. "I'm freaking you out with the whole Cary Grant moment, aren't I?" Piper laughed breathlessly and came down the stairs.

"What are you doing here?"

"Giving you time." He handed her the bouquet.

"They're beautiful." He pulled a note out of his pocket and unfolded it.

"I, uh, found this. "Jason, I had to go back home. I wish I had time to explain." So now you do." Piper smiled.

"I'm sorry, Jason. I, uh . . . don't know what to say."

"It's okay. It's all right. You know, I kept trying to convince myself that this wasn't about me, but . . . you can't really put that in a note, can you?" Piper didn't answer and Jason took that as a cue to leave. He turned away and walked toward the door.

"Wait." Jason stopped and turned around.

"Jason, I'm not sorry to see you. You know, it's just, you came all this way, and I-I wish I had a better explanation for you."

"For why you left Paris or why you left me?"

"You know how I feel about you. That hasn't changed, but I can't go back."

"Piper, I didn't come here to get you. I came here to be with you." Piper smiled thankfully at Jason and he leaned down to kiss her warmly.


End file.
